Sour cereal soup

Żur (, diminutive: żurek) is a soup made of soured rye flour (akin to sourdough) and meat (usually boiled pork sausage or pieces of smoked sausage, bacon or pork ribs). The recipe varies regionally. In Poland it is sometimes served in an edible bowl made of bread or with boiled potatoes. In Silesia, a type of sour rye soup known as żur śląski is served in a bowl, poured over mashed potatoes. In the Podlasie region and also elsewhere in Poland, it is common to eat żurek with halved hard-boiled eggs. In Polish Subcarpathia, there is a traditional variety made of fermented oatmeal ( or kisełycia). In Poland żurek is traditionally eaten at Easter, but is also popular during other parts of the year. It is sometimes flavored with bits of sausage, usually eaten with bread or buns. Another similar soup, sometimes identified as identical with żur, but usually differentiated by its preparation with soured wheat flour rather than rye, is known as barszcz biały (lit. 'white barszcz'). According to some regional traditions, żur is the Lenten variation that contains no meat and is served with additions such as hard-boiled eggs and boiled potatoes, while barszcz biały is a variant with meat such as sausage and bacon. File:Żywność - 023.JPG|Żur with kiełbasa and halved boiled eggs The following ingredients may be used: • cured bones • pork ribs • onion • celery root • parsley • marjoram • bay leaves • allspice • lovage • caraway seed • garlic • dried mushrooms • cream • horseradish • hard-boiled eggs == Belarus ==

In Belarus, žur () or kisjalica () is a soup made of fermented oatmeal or rye. Žur may also denote a thicker porridge, a type of kissel made of fermented oatmeal, which is known since the times of Kievan Rus'.{{cite book File:Жур.JPG|Zhur == Czech Republic ==

Kyselo (; ) is a soup based on rye sourdough and mushrooms. It is a traditional Czech cuisine from poor folk food originating in the Northern Bohemia highland region of the Giant Mountains. It is made from locally accessible, cheap, storable ingredients (the mushrooms are usually used dried) and nutritious ingredients so it provides substantial energy for hard mountain life and work. Historically kyselo was made without eggs. Eggs in early times were produced mainly for sale on the market, not for one's own family, so eggs were only eaten on some holidays. Potatoes became widespread among poor people of Czech lands in the late 18th century, so before that time soups of this type were also made without potatoes. Etymology The word kyselo is derived from the Slavic word (Polish, Slovak, Czech) "kisić" "to make sour", kyselý, which means 'sour' in Czech. The sourdough which kyselo is made from is called "chlebový kvásek" or "chlebový kvas" (not to be confused with the Russian kvass). Sometimes another sour mushroom-based Czech soup kulajda or its variants are mistakenly called kyselo. The difference is that kulajda and similar soups do not use sourdough but sour cream or milk and vinegar. To reduce this misunderstanding, kyselo is often called Krkonošské kyselo ("Giant Mountain Kyselo"). In Eastern regions of the Czech Republic and in Slovakia there is a soup called kyselica, but it is a variation of sauerkraut soup. Ingredients and preparation The basis of kyselo is strong broth made from mushrooms and caraway in water. Central European mushroom species such as cep and similar ones are used. The mushrooms are usually used dried in the winter. Due to its ancient origins, kyselo has no fixed recipe, and the preparation is a little different in every family. The recipe is passed on by oral tradition. There are local variants of kyselo in the Giant Mountains: without eggs or with hard-boiled eggs, boiled but not roasted potatoes, with or without cream, etc. Instant powder kyselo base is now available for use in large catering kitchens or liquid fermented cereal. Serving Kyselo is sometimes served in an edible bread bowl. In the Giant Mountains there is also a peak called the Kotel (, ) which means cauldron. When fog rises from the valley at bottom of Kotel, people say that Krakonoš is cooking the kyselo. The name kyselo is well-known throughout the Czech Republic because of Večerníček children's television series Krkonošské pohádky (Fairy Tales from the Giant Mountains), in which Anče, one of the main characters, cooks kyselo in almost all of the episodes. == Similar dishes ==

Eastern European cuisines also have variations of soups based on soured flour or other modes of fermentation. Examples are Russian okroshka made with kvass, ==See also==